woobie

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English

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Etymology

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From the 1983 film Mr. Mom, in which it is a child's word for his security blanket.

Pronunciation

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  • Rhymes: -ʊbi
  • Audio (US):(file)

Noun

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woobie (plural woobies)

  1. (US, childish) Any object, typically a blanket, garment or stuffed animal, that is used simply for its comforting characteristics; a security blanket.
  2. (US, intimate) Term of endearment.
  3. (fandom slang) A fictional character, often morally grey or a villain, subjected to constant stress and angst, so as to create pathos within the narrative and increase the reader/viewer's emotional attachment to them.
    • 2006, Afşar Yegin, "Fan-Textual Television: Narrative Structure, Vituality And Fandon In Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel And Veronica Mars, thesis submitted to Istanbul Bilgi University, page 109:
      The conflicted portrayal of the character reaches its zenith during the sixth episode where Logan’s relationship with his abusive and morally despicable father solidifies his character into the woobie.
    • 2018, Anna Blackwell, Shakespearean Celebrity in the Digital Age: Fan Cultures and Remediation[1], page 109:
      In some instances, this characterisation then becomes part of a hurt/comfort fan narrative where the pleasure at the woobie's pain is transmuted into relief at their eventual recovery.
    • 2022, K. R. Moore, The Routledge Companion to the Reception of Ancient Greek and Roman Gender and Sexuality, unnumbered page:
      But the post also rejects Patroclus as woobie, drawing attention to his amorous complicity in Achilles's crimes.
    • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:woobie.
  4. (US, military slang) A poncho liner.

Derived terms

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See also

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